


The Story Of Tonight

by AllHaleOlicity



Category: Arrow - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Drama & Romance, F/M, and i also dont know how to end a story so this should be super fun to watch play out, and then i decide that i would just put myself in a hole there so i change it up, how do you end a story?, if it ever plays out, its just gonna go forever, like i write a chapter and then plan like 5 chapters ahead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-04-07 05:09:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14073570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllHaleOlicity/pseuds/AllHaleOlicity
Summary: Set in the Revolutionary War.Felicity, a rich daughter of General Smoakmeets a strangely charming soldier under her father's command, Oliver Queen.





	1. Chapter 1

The news came early that morning, giving everyone time to prepare.  
Make room, make food, and be sure everyone is on their best behavior.

Though, she wasn't entirely sure why it mattered if they dressed well and behaved better if these  
weren't the kind of men they needed to impress.

They were just her father's soldiers.  
Most of them chose to be a part of the war and the others  
wouldn't even get a second glance if the situation wasn't what it is now.

Still, she did as she was told.  
She found her sister and they got ready together.  
She could only assume her brothers were doing the same in the other room.

But if they weren't it wouldn't matter.  
Her father didn't care if the boys looked nice, they were the boys.  
It only mattered if the girls looked like decent young women ready to be married off.

 

Felicity looked at her sister through the mirror in front of them.  
She had long brown hair, it was straight, thin, silky.  
Everything Felicity's was not.

She had taken after her mother for that.  
Out of all of her siblings only her and her older brother, Justin, had blonde hair.

It worked for him.  
He could cut it and never have to fight with the frizz and curls.  
Her parents would never allow her to do that.  
Not that she'd want to, but an inch or 5 couldn't hurt.

Luckily for her, they did allow her to tie it back most of the time.  
Keeps it long, flowing, and out of her face.

 

"Ready for tonight?"  
Her sister asked, jerking her back to reality.

She shrugged, grabbing a brush off of the dresser and combing through her sister's hair.  
"It's another dinner with another group of men who will be dead in a week."

"Well, try not to sound too excited."

"It's routine, Alena."  
She paused her brushing then looked up at her through the mirror again.  
"Braid or no braid?"

"No braid,"

Felicity frowned.  
Her sister always wanted a braid.

"Like you said, it's just another group of already dead men."  
She raised her eyebrow at her sister.

"You want to chase Romeo? Don't let me stop you."  
Felicity sat the brush back down and switched seats with Alena.

Alena started brushing through her hair.  
"You know Papa would never approve."

"Of Romeo?"

"If he was one of these men."

Felicity scrunched her nose.  
She was right.  
There was a fine line between acceptable men to start a future with and these so-called soldiers.  
While they had courage, they were still poor.

And to a family like hers, you have to have something to offer.  
These men didn't.

 

Alena finished brushing through Felicity's hair and they headed towards the staircase just as the first few guests were arriving.  
The girls stood at the top of the staircase beside their brothers.  
They had four brothers.  
Giving Felicity a total of 6 siblings.  
Her baby sister was asleep in their parents' room.

"Anyone interesting yet?"  
Alena whispered, leaning towards their oldest brother.

"Just some town folk."  
Justin replied quietly.  
"Unless your 'Romeo' raises sheep, nothing yet."

Felicity glared at her brother.  
"You were spying on us."

"Thin walls."  
He muttered as their father waved him down the stairs.

Every time they hosted guests Justin was the first to descend the staircase.  
Being the oldest, he was the first to be introduced.  
Being the oldest boy, he was the one in on every important discussion.

After this dinner he was leaving with the rest of the men and their father.  
They were set to leave before dawn, intending to arrive back at their base before nightfall.

 

Justin, along with 3 other men walked into the parlor.  
Next was John.  
Henry.  
Jeffery.

Then it was time for...

"Alena."

Felicity stopped in her tracks.  
She looked at her sister, Alena shrugged as she walked by Felicity to the bottom of the staircase.

Alena and a few more men followed in her brothers' footsteps.

There was only one man left when Felicity was finally called down the stairs.  
She met him at the door, ready to get this over with.

She was usually stuck with the most awkward, old, and creepy man that could possibly be left.  
This one was a nice surprise.

He was taller than the others.  
His hair was nicer.  
Sure, it was covered in dirt from the dust the horses kicked up but it was still nice.  
Sky blue eyes.  
He wasn't clean shaven but he didn't have a beard, it was more stubble.

 _Stop staring, you look like a weirdo._  
She told herself.  
She shook her head then curtsied lightly.

She was matched with a slight bow from him.  
"Oliver Queen."

She smiled and let out a short breath of air through her nose before quickly cupping her mouth.  
Her father sighed.  
"My daughter, Felicity."

She lowered her hand as the smile faded.  
"Sorry."  
Her voice was almost too quiet to hear but she assumed he did when he replied.

"I get it a lot, ma'am. Don't fret."

Her father stepped between them and lead them both into the parlor to join the rest of the guests.

She accompanied him into the room, questioning her father in her mind as he talked to his men.  
She never took her eyes off of Oliver.

 

Why would her father leave her to greet this one?  
Alena was the youngest, sure, but that was usually the reason why they would let her have the clean ones.

Felicity was always stuck with the dirty, grimy men because of Alena's pure soul.  
So what was wrong with this guy?

Is he a spy?  
Was he sent as a test for Felicity?  
What kind of test would they even send her?  
She's a good girl, unlike her sister that was banned from thought for running off with a British soldier.

 

With her father still talking, Oliver looked over at her.  
"Are you alright?"

She always got lost in her own head, somehow always while staring at something or someone  
she wasn't supposed to.

She couldn't come up with a logical reason to cover up why she was  
staring at him so she just nodded then turned her attention to her father.

It didn't matter why she was the one to greet this guy.

  
_He'll be dead in a week._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Three Weeks Later** _

* * *

 

Alena ran into the bedroom she shared with Felicity and closed the door.  
The sudden slam made Felicity jump from her spot on the bed to her feet,  
the book in her hand falling to the floor.

"What happened?"  
She asked, worry clear in her voice.

Things have been quiet since their father and brother left 3 weeks ago.  
Only a letter or two to confirm that they were okay.  
But anything that required a shut door with a chair in front of it was more than an update letter.

She waved a clear envelope in front of her sister's face.  
"Guess what this is..."  
She sang, stepping closer to Felicity.

Felicity rolled her eyes and picked the book up off of the floor.  
"Alena, I don't have time for this."  
She searched for the page she was previously on and flopped back onto the bed.

 

Alena stopped waving the envelope and sighed.  
"And to think I stole this letter before anyone else could see it."

"Why would you do that?"  
Felicity asked, not looking up from her page.

"Because it's from your handsome friend."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at her sister.  
"Who?"

"Uh," Alena looked at the writing on the front of the envelope. "Oliver Queen."

 

Felicity's eyes widened as she threw the book to the foot of the bed and jumped up.  
She snatched the envelope from Alena's hands and read the writing on the front.

_Oliver Queen_

_to_

_Miss Felicity Smoak_

She dropped back onto the bed again.  
A slight smile spread across her face.

"Hurry up and read it, I want to know what it says!"  
Alena cried, sitting beside her.

Her smile faded as she tossed the letter to the side.  
"It doesn't matter."  
She grabbed her book and started to read again.

 

"It doesn't matter?"  
Alena repeated.  
"He sent you a letter!"

Felicity shrugged.  
"Dead in a week."

"It's been three!"

"Give it four."

Alena sighed.  
She reached for the letter but Felicity stopped her before she could grab it.

"That's not yours."

"But you aren't reading it."

"That's no invitation for you to."  
She picked up the letter and stuffed it into a lock box beside the bed.  
Despite the name, there was no actual lock on the box.  
It had broken during a move a few years back.

Still, the sisters agreed to mind their business and not open the other's box without permission.

 

"Now, I have to read."  
She pointed to the door.

Alena rolled her eyes and walked towards the door.  
She moved the chair away and walked out.

Felicity waited for the door to shut again before she traded the book for the letter.  
She listened carefully to make sure Alena was actually gone before she opened the envelope.

She loved her sister, they've shared everything all their lives.  
They were only 1 year apart in age so they were inseparable from Alena's birth.  
But that didn't mean Felicity wanted to share everything with her.

Sometimes, she wanted to have her own thing that no one else could have.  
And right now, whether it meant anything or not.  
It was this letter.

 

The letter started off platonic.  
It was a few simple sentences of gratefulness for the Dinner a few weeks back.

 _If only he knew that was one of the simpler meals they'd ate.  
_ She thought

 The letter continued with information about her brother and father.  
While their letters came they never included actual detail.  
You could never tell the mood they were in when they wrote them.

 

_Justin is following tracks of soldiers_  
_Note, the lack of the word 'British'_  
_He's in a circle going nowhere_  
_following the tracks of his own brothers._  
_I assume it's his first time out here._  
_For his sake, at least._

 

Felicity rolled her eyes.  
Justin was the oldest so he was first in line to join their father on the battlefield.  
But if their father had a choice, he would probably choose John, the second oldest.  
He had more intelligence than their older brother.

 

_Your father is a strong leader._  
_Though, we're at a standstill he's still working day and night to_  
_come up with a plan._  
_I imagine you and your family are already aware of that though._

 

They were.  
But the good intentions were clear.  
Felicity finished reading the rest of the letter before locking it back in the box beside her bed.

She debated whether or not to reply.  
If she did, her father would know she was sending letters to a man under his command and would probably  
have him drifted to sea and thrown overboard.  
Especially with his not having anything to his name.

But if she could find the right carrier she could talk him into bypassing her father and sending the letter directly to Queen.  
It wouldn't be hard.  
There were a few men she knew would do the job for her.

She looked at the box for a moment before grabbing a piece of paper from her desk.  
She took out a piece of thin chalk from her sister's drawing set and sat down.

* * *

 

_F.Smoak_

_to_

_Mister Oliver Queen_

_I'm writing to inform you I received the letter_  
_Though I get this slight feeling you wrote only to write_  
_That is fine with me but if you're going to write_  
_you might as well spark a conversation._

_Talk about the scenery._  
_My sister is always longing to draw a more realistic image of the battlefield_  
_but we are never there long enough for her to capture it._

_Tell me a story about being surrounded by all of these different men_  
_my family included._  
_I'm aware of how they act at home, I'd love to know how they are_  
_while away._

_What kind of animals do you run across?_  
_I'm told that bears and wolves come out fairly often but I've yet to see one of either._  
_Have I been lied to just so I wouldn't go wandering off?_

 

_Of course, you could also talk about yourself._  
_I enjoy reading biographies and this one would be firsthand._  
_I've read nearly every book this house has to offer so please give me something interesting._

_Until you have the time to write_  
_Keep my dear brother out of trouble and keep an eye on my father also_  
_he's a stubborn man and refuses to be treated for any pain until his men are safe._  
_If anything should happen, tend to him._

_I wish you the best of the luck on the battlefield._

_Felicity._

* * *

 

Felicity sealed the letter and ran it down to the front door where the carrier was just about to leave.  
She grabbed him on the shoulder as he was walking out of the door.  
He turned around to face her.

"I need you to drop this off at my father's camp."  
She started, holding the letter out.  
He reached for it but she pulled it back slightly.

"It is to be brought straight to Oliver Queen. No one else."  
She said, this time her voice was a little quieter than it was before.

The man nodded, taking the letter and stuffing it into his bag.  
With that, he was gone and the front door was closed.

 

Felicity let out a long breath.  
She turned to see her mother carrying her baby sister on her hip.

"Anything from your father?"  
She asked, looking at the stack of papers on the desk by the door.

Felicity picked up the stack and flipped through it.  
She shook her head.  
Her mother sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine."  
Felicity reassured her with a small smile.

Her mother nodded in agreement before disappearing through the parlor again.

 _That was close._  
She sighed, walking back up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

_To_  
  
Oliver Queen

_From_

_F. Smoak_

 

_My family is having a gathering this weekend to celebrate the return of my father, General Smoak, and my brother, Justin._  
We're quite sappy that way.  
This gathering is more of a gala and there will be a lot of important people there.  
People my Father would like to marry me off to.  
Being the oldest sister, I'm first in line to be sent off.

_You, though, could make the evening a lot less dreadful._  
In case you don't understand, this is an invitation.  
I'm not one to beg, but if you do not show up I may run myself into the line of fire  
down in South Carolina.  
So, please consider the invitation.

_PS_  
If you are worried about showing up to a party filled with uptight rich folk  
I can assure you, that feeling will not go away.  
And that's coming from an uptight rich folk.

_PS...again._  
My father speaks very highly of you.  
So you have him in your corner whether he knows it or not.

_You know where the mansion is._  
Be here around 8.  
I hope you see you soon.

_Felicity_

* * *

 

_To_

_F. Smoak_

_From_

_Oliver Queen_

 

_Sounds like your father has plans for you._  
Are you sure it's the best idea for me to show up without an official invitation?  
He may speak highly of me on the battlefield but as a man out of the war, there isn't much to see.  
Or offer.

_I appreciate the invitation._  
But I've come very attached to my head and where it sits on my shoulders.  
I understand your wanting to avoid your peers but how long can you  
truly deny your future?

_These men, though I've never met anyone of sorts, can't be as terrible as you imagine them to be._  
They'll keep you in comfort.  
That's worth more than a night of company from me.

_Oliver_

* * *

 

_To_

_Oliver Queen_

_From_

_F. Smoak_

 

_I'm not denying my future._  
My future is no where set in stone.  
I simply wished for a familiar face in the crowd of strangers.

_No more than that.  
But if you wish to spend the time elsewhere I understand._

_Until next time_

_Felicity_

* * *

 

"She's mad."

Oliver crumbled the letter and sat it beside him.  
"What are you doing?"  
He asked, looking back at his little sister over his shoulder.

Thea shrugged, jumping off of the bed and onto the floor.  
She slid back onto the bed to sit beside her brother.

"I was curious, you took the mail so fast I was afraid it would catch fire."  
She kicked her legs.

 

Oliver rolled his eyes.  
"I thought you were helping Raisa with the garden?"

"She wouldn't let me eat the carrots."

"They haven't been washed yet."

"Dirt is healthy."

"Says who?"

"You, when we didn't have water."

Oliver sighed.

 

"So, what'd you do to make that girl mad?"  
Thea bumped him with her shoulder.

"She invited me to a party her family is throwing and I said no."

"Why?"

"Because I have to take care of you."

"Raisa can take care of me for a night."  
She said, laying back on the bed.  
"Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not a child anymore."

Oliver looked back at his sister.  
"You're not grown either."

"I'm grown enough."

"You tried to eat dirt carrots."

"I have bad judgement."  
She shrugged.

Oliver laughed, laying beside Thea.

 

"You should go."

"I can't."

"I told you, Raisa and I will be fine."

"It's tonight."

Thea bounced up off the bed.  
"You have time!"  
She ran to the box in the corner of the room that had Oliver's clothes.  
He hadn't yet unpacked from their last move.

"Speedy, they live miles away."  
He sat up.

"Take Jensen."  
She responded, digging through his clothes.  
She pulled out a decent looking suit.

"What's this?"

Oliver looked at it from the bed.  
"It was dad's."

Thea nodded at the suit, tossing it to him.  
"Get dressed."

"Speedy-"

"Ollie, a girl likes you. I don't know why. Something is probably seriously wrong with her."  
She paused.  
"It's your job to figure that out. But you can't if you sit here wishing you were there."

Oliver looked at the clothes in his hands then at his sister.  
"You really did grow up didn't you?"

She shrugged.  
"I can be mature when I wish to be."  
She smiled at her brother then disappeared out of the room.

* * *

 

Felicity sat on the seat by the bay window on the top of the staircase.  
She wasn't pouting.  
She just wasn't into fraternizing with the guests at the moment.

The party had reached it's climax and it was all downhill from here.  
Though, no one would be leaving for another few hours.  
She couldn't hide in her room so she sat here.

Not being rude, just distant.

There were a lot of nice men in the parlor.  
She couldn't deny that.  
But none of them were who she wanted to see.

 

"What's with the face?"  
Iris asked, sitting down next to Felicity.  
Iris was one of the Ladies in Waiting.

But she was also the closest thing Felicity had to a best friend that wasn't a member of her family.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"  
She sighed.

Iris mimicked her frown.  
Felicity lightly shoved her.

"I'm just tired."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Felicity, I've known you for a long time, I know when you're upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Fine."  
She shrugged.

The girls were silent for a minute.

 

"I sent an invitation for tonight's event to someone and they didn't show."  
She admitted, not looking at Iris.

"Was it a male someone?"

"I've said too much already."

"What's his name?"

"Oliver."

"Do you like him?"

"My father won't."

"I didn't ask if General Smoak liked him."

 

Felicity glanced at Iris.  
"He's under his command."

Iris's eyes widened.  
"Damn."

Felicity sighed.  
"I know it's not smart."

"Have you heard about Elizabeth?"

Felicity shook her head.

"There's a man under General Washington who's caught her heart."

"This is different."

"How?"

"This is my father."

Iris put her hand on Felicity's shoulder.  
"It'll work out however it's meant to."

 

There was a knock at the door.  
Iris stood up and walked down the stairs to answer it, Felicity followed her.

"You should probably connect with your peers."  
Iris told her as she opened the door.  
Felicity stuck her tongue out at her.

"How can I help you?"  
Iris asked, Felicity leaned against the wall behind the door, watching Iris.

"I know I'm late, But I have an invitation."

That voice.  
She's only heard it once before but she could point it out in a crowd.

She bounced off the wall and ran up behind Iris.

"Oliver."

"Hi."

"Hi."

Iris looked between the two of them, her gaze landing on Felicity.  
"Girl..."  
A smile across her face.

"Maybe you should check on the refreshments?"  
Felicity suggested.

"That's not my job."  
Iris said.

"Iris."

"Yes, m'lady."  
She curtsied tauntingly before walking into the parlor.

 

"You came."  
Felicity smiled, motioning for Oliver to walk inside.  
She closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"You came."  
She smiled at him.  
"That's all that matters."


	4. Chapter 4

"How was the journey?"  
Felicity asked, curving around Oliver and walking towards the stairs.  
She sounded way too excited when he arrived, she had to tone it down.  
She didn't want to scare him off.  
Or come off desperate, which she wasn't.

Oliver turned around to keep his gaze on her.  
"Fair."  
He put his hands in his coat pockets, stepping closer to where she was.

She nodded slightly, turning towards the parlor.  
"There's fire in there."  
The words slipped from her mouth without thinking.

"A contained one. It's...Warmer in there."  
She shook her head, trying to form an actual human-sounding sentence.  
"There's also refreshments. Finger food-"

"Sounds fancy."  
He finally stopped her.

_Thank God._

"It is. Very."

_Stop talking._

"Why aren't you in there?"  
He asked.

She shrugged.  
"It's a bit too fancy for my taste."  
She looked back at Oliver.  
"Also I invited you and it would be rude to walk away."

 

"Wouldn't want to be rude."  
Iris said, walking out of the parlor.

"How were those refreshments?"  
Felicity asked, turning towards Iris.

Iris gave her a smile.  
"That isn't my job."

"What is? Hovering over me?"

Iris looked at Oliver then back at Felicity.  
She nodded.  
"Yes."

She stood by Felicity.  
"But that isn't why I'm here."

Felicity frowned.

"Your father is asking for you."

Her frown turned more serious this time.  
She looked at Oliver.  
"Guess we're joining the party."

"We?"

"That is why I invited you."  
She gestured towards the parlor.

Oliver forced a smile, copying her motion.  
"After you."

Felicity rolled her eyes, walking towards the door.  
"Someone afraid of my dear old father?"  
She whispered as they walked in.

"I've already told you how I felt about my limbs being attached to my body."

* * *

 

"Felicity, there you are."  
Justin swooped in beside Felicity as they walked through the door.  
He stopped, glancing back at Oliver.

"I didn't know you were coming."

Felicity and Oliver shared a look but before either could answer he started talking again.  
"Good to see you, brother!"  
He patted Oliver on the shoulder before dragging Felicity off towards their parents.

 

"What is this about?"  
Felicity asked in a whisper before they reached their parents.

Justin shrugged.  
"Some guy is offering 8 sheep for your hand."

Felicity's eyes widened.

"A little bit of humor."  
He put his hands on her shoulders.  
"It's a party. Lighten up."

Once they were in front of their parents Justin hopped off to do whatever it was he did,  
leaving Felicity alone.  
Though, it couldn't be too bad.  
She hadn't done anything wrong.  
That they know of.

 

"Here she is."  
Her father looked at her then back at the man standing in front of him.

_Justin was right._   
_I'm being sent off for some sheep._

"Father."  
She curtsied calmly, not looking at the man until they were introduced.

The man turned around and gave her a smile before bowing.  
"Ms. Smoak."  
He looked back up at her.  
"Thomas Merlyn."

She gave him a friendly smile in return, thinking the worst.

_Way to go, Felicity._   
_You invited Oliver to your wedding._

"Mr. Merlyn and his family are from New York."  
Her mother informed her.

"Please, Mrs. Smoak, 'Mr. Merlyn' is my father."  
He looked at her mom then back at her.  
"Call me Tommy."

"New York?"  
Felicity said, her eyes narrowing.  
"Quite the journey for a little get together."

"I admit, it's nothing compared to what we see up there."  
He looked around.  
"But that isn't always a bad thing."

 

Felicity nodded, studying him as well as the situation without looking suspicious.  
She turned to her father.  
"Oliver Queen is here."

Her father looked confused.

"Your soon to be Right Hand Man?"  
Felicity pointed to Oliver who was talking to Justin in the corner of the room.

"Soon to be?"  
Her father looked at her.

"We both know Justin is more of a man of action and Mr Queen doesn't look like the fighting type."

Tommy looked at Oliver then back at Felicity.  
His eyes narrowed.  
"Looks like a perfectly fine fighter to me, sir."  
He looked at her father.

Felicity glared at him.  
"He'd make a better messenger."

"To the soldiers who dare set foot in our territory.  
He looks like he'd have bodies piled 10 feet off the ground."  
He looked at her.  
"Blood, pouring down his-"

Felicity smiled at her parents, grabbing Tommy's arm as the next song started.  
"Let's dance."

 

She drug Tommy to the center of the room.  
Mixed in with enough people that her parents couldn't see them.  
"Why are you here?"  
She let go of his arm to cross her own.

"I'm here to meet the sweet daughter of General Smoak. Is she around here somewhere?"  
He jokingly looked around.

"You're ruining everything!"  
She yelled as loud as she could in a whisper.

"With who? Tall, pale and handsome over there?"  
He pointed towards Oliver.  
"I'm all of that but I also have money."

"And an ego larger than anything else you might have."  
She started to walk off but he pulled her back

"Okay, too far."  
He started.  
"I actually know that guy."

Felicity raised an eyebrow.  
"No you don't."  
She shook her head.

"Yeah. I do."  
He took her hand and drug her over to Oliver and Justin.

 

"Ollie!"

Oliver glanced at Tommy then continued his conversation with Justin.  
He stopped after a second and turned back to Tommy, this time noticing Felicity.

"Merlyn."

"How the hell are you?"  
He waved Justin off.

Justin looked at Felicity but she just shrugged.

"I haven't gotten a letter or a visit in a while."

"I've been busy."  
Oliver replied, leaning on the wall behind him.

"With the revolution. I heard."

"You proved your point."  
Felicity jerked her hand away from Tommy.  
"How do you two know each other? You don't exactly run in the same crowd."

"Oh! It's a great story! We have the same sister."  
Tommy smiled, standing beside Oliver.

Felicity looked at Oliver, he nodded slowly.  
"We were friends before that, unfortunately."

Tommy shoved Oliver with his shoulder.  
"We're basically brothers."

"I'm so sorry for you."  
Felicity said, looking at Oliver.

* * *

 

The rest of the night went by smoothly.  
Oliver and Tommy had a long pleasant conversation with Felicity's father  
and Oliver left with all of his limbs attached.

Felicity's sanity on the other hand is a different story.  
Though, after warming up to the situation, Tommy wasn't too terrible to talk to.

He wasn't Oliver.  
But he was a nice guy.  
One that she would hopefully see less off in the future.

At the end of the night, Felicity was once again in her spot on the stairs.  
Iris sat beside her.

"And then there were two."  
She said.

"Well, it's about to be three because Alena wants to draw the front door and I'm keeping her company."

"I wasn't talking about us."

Felicity looked at her.

Iris smiled before standing.  
"Dinah is coming tomorrow."  
She stated before walking up the stairs.

Felicity watched as she left.

  
_Tomorrow is gonna be an interesting day._


	5. Chapter 5

"Your friend is here."  
Alena announced, her head poking through the doorway of the parlor.

Felicity didn't look up from her book.  
She was always reading.  
This situation felt a bit Déjà vu but what didn't in this life?

"I have more than one friend, Alena, be more specific."

She poked her head out of the room then back in.  
"Tommy Merlyn."

Felicity laid her head back and groaned.  
She closed her book and waved at Alena to let him in.  
Not even a second later he swooped into the parlor and stood in front of her.

 

"What do you want?"

"That's not way to treat a guest."

"Tommy, I'm busy."

"Really? Doing what?"

"Reading."

Tommy leaned closer to see the book on Felicity's lap, he nodded, leaning back up.  
"As fun as that looks,"  
He pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.  
"There's a party tomorrow night, downtown New York. I want you to join me."

Felicity looked at the invitation then handed it back to him.  
"I can't."

"Oliver will be there."

Felicity sighed.  
"I really can't."

Tommy frowned.  
"If you're worried about disapproval, I have that handled."

"Someone is coming to visit today, I have to be here for that."

"Have to?"

Felicity nodded, standing up and sitting her book on the chair.  
"My sister."

"Your sister is here, she let me in."

"Not that sister."  
She swerved past Tommy and to the window in front of the chair where she was sitting before.

 

"You have another sister?"

"I have two. But my littlest is upstairs in a crib."

"Okay, well the party is tomorrow night, you have to be here today, we can still make it."

"Too far of a trip on a short notice, my parents would never allow me to go."  
Felicity turned back towards Tommy.  
"I appreciate the invitation but I must decline."

 

Tommy sighed, sliding the invitation back into his pocket.  
"Oliver really wants to see you."

Felicity walked out of the parlor, Tommy following behind her.  
"Iris,"  
She grabbed Iris' arm as she walked past her, she turned around to face her.  
"I need you to prepare a care package for Mr. Merlyn's trip back to New York."

Iris turned to Tommy.  
"Fruits or Vegetables?"

"Fruit. My little sister loves apples."

Iris nodded then walked into the kitchen.  
She came back out a few minutes later with a basket, she handed it to Tommy.

"Have a safe trip."  
Felicity gestured towards the door.

"If you change your mind, I'm leaving tonight."  
He nodded his thanks to Iris then left.

 

Iris closed the door behind him then turned to look at Felicity.  
"What'd he want?"

"There's a party in New York tomorrow."

"Your parents would never allow you to go to that."

"I know."  
Felicity snapped out of her thoughts before they had a chance to become a problem.  
"Dinah is gonna be here soon."

Iris sighed.  
"And we thought the Revolution would be the biggest fight of the year."  
She and Felicity shared a look before separating.

* * *

 

 The mansion was quiet.  
Filled with tension.  
You could feel it in the air the second she stepped inside.

Felicity and Alena shared a look from their beds.  
_She's here._

Felicity shot Alena a comforting smile.  
"She's family. It can't be too bad."  
Alena's face still read that she was uneasy about the situation.

 

Felicity couldn't blame her.

 

It's been almost 2 years since they've their older sister.  
No one ever talks about her.  
She's labeled as the disappointment in the family, a cautionary tale that no one ever spoke a word about.  
She never did anything wrong, she followed her heart and that was enough to have her labeled.

Dinah is older than Felicity but younger than Justin.  
She was the angel among all of the girls, she always helped out, went the extra mile for everyone.  
One day, she went to a camp that had just been attacked and delivered a care package for everyone who was hurt.  
That's where it went down hill.

She found someone there who peaked her interest.  
Rene Ramirez.  
He was a single father and his daughter was with him at the hospital.  
Dinah always felt the need to help people and with the Ramirez's she met her match.

She decided to move in with Rene and his daughter to help them, of course Felicity's father didn't like that.  
So she left out in the middle of the night and never spoke a word to the family again.  
Not that they'd ever listen to her.

A week after she left a letter to the kids arrived, an apology of sorts.  
Dinah explained the situation and promised to be around if they ever needed her but she knew  
her father would never let her live this life so she did what needed to be done.

There wasn't a return address.  
That was the last Felicity ever heard from her older sister.

 

And now she was downstairs.  
Felicity didn't know what to expect.  
She moved in with Rene as a friend, she liked him and they got along  
like brother and sister.  
But anything could change.

 Alena and Felicity stood at the top of the staircase with their other siblings, all looking down at the front door.  
Well, not at the door but at the woman standing in front of it.  
Her hair was still brown, not a sign of grey anywhere.  
That was a good sign.  
Not for this situation but for Felicity.  
If her older sister hasn't greyed then she has at least 10 more years of dirty blonde.

 

Dinah looked up at her siblings on the top of the staircase.  
She dropped a bag to her feet and opened her arms.  
"I'm baaaack."

Justin looked at Felicity, both of them walking down before the others.  
"I take it things with Ramirez didn't work out?"  
Justin asked, taking his sister's bag.

Dinah shook her head and crossed her arms.  
"No, actually I'm very happy living with Rene and Zoe."  
She turned to Felicity.  
"You should meet them, they'd love you."  
She gave her sister a smile.

"Don't think Papa would like that much."  
She whispered, eyeing the parlor.

Dinah looked towards the door to the parlor and shrugged.  
"You're old enough to make your own decisions."

"And that's why you were never allowed to family dinner after you left."  
Justin mumbled, taking her bag upstairs.

 

Felicity pulled Dinah towards the staircase.  
"Don't worry about him, Papa is considering a new Right Hand Man and he's grumpy about it."

Dinah rolled her eyes.  
"He's a dramatic one."  
She looked up at everyone on top of the staircase and waved for them to come down.

 

The awkwardness faded away quickly, there were reunion hugs, stories, and laughter.  
They were a whole family again.  
Even their parents were happy to see her, which was surprising to everyone.

They'd insisted on inviting Rene and Zoe for dinner next week and Dinah agreed.  
They weren't a couple but they were friends and she was living with him.  
That's enough to get a dinner invitation.

 _I should make note of that  
_ Felicity thought.

* * *

 

After a long day, it was time for bed.  
Dinah was bunking with Felicity and Alena for the night  
before leaving in the morning.

"You've been quiet."  
Dinah said, sitting down beside Felicity on her bed.

Felicity shook her head.  
"I've talked your ear off just as much as everyone else."

"Not true."  
Dinah fell back onto the bed, she turned her head to look at Felicity.  
"You've been the most quiet."

"There's a lot going on up here."  
Felicity pointed to her head, reaching for the book sitting beside her bed.

Dinah stared at her for a minute.  
"Continue?"

Felicity looked around to see if Alena was back yet then leaned closer to Dinah.  
"There's a party in New York tomorrow night."

Dinah leaned up.  
"Sounds fun."

"It does, but you know I can't go."

"Who says?"

Felicity looked at her sister.

 

"What Daddy doesn't know won't hurt him. Trust me."  
Dinah sat up.

"I can't sneak away to New York unnoticed."

"Leave out with me in the morning, claim you're coming for a visit and we'll both go."

"You just want in on my invitation."  
Felicity leaned back onto her bed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, I do."

"You have a man."

"I have a friend. Why does everyone assume we're together?"  
Dinah paused.  
"Do not answer that."

 

Felicity sighed.  
"They'll never let me go, even if to visit you. Not alone."

Dinah looked around the room.  
She was always good at coming up with plans to sneak away.  
She was the best at it.  
Maybe because by the time she was old enough to sneak away their parents had more kids to watch over  
they didn't care where she was.

Either way, she always got out and back in unnoticed.

"Who invited you to this party?"

"Tommy Merlyn."

Dinah made a face.

"You've heard of him?"

"I've had the pleasure of meeting him."

"He's a delight, but he's not the one I'm going for."

"Another man?"

"It's complicated."

"Must be if he didn't invite you himself."  
Dinah rolled her eyes.  
"When does Merlyn leave?"

"Tonight."

Dinah stood up, grabbing her bag and dumping the contents onto the floor.  
She filled it up with a few of Felicity's dresses.

"I'll stay a few more days, keep them busy."  
Dinah motioned to the hallway.  
"You, find Merlyn and tell him you're going."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because you deserve to know what it's like out there."  
Dinah stopped packing and sat back down beside Felicity.

"It's scary and beautiful and crazy and wonderful,"  
Her eyes lit up as she talked about it.  
"You deserve to know how it feels to be free."

Felicity smiled, looking at the window beside her bed.  
She has always wanted an excuse to leave the family behind and be herself.  
Not that she knows who that is.  
But it was time to find out.

"Besides, if you never have your freedom you can't help Alena have hers."  
Dinah continued, standing back up and tossing the bag on the bed.

"So, the question is.."  
She looked at Felicity.  
"Are you ready?"

* * *

 

Felicity walked up to a carriage in the center of town.  
A large fur coat covering her entire body.  
The nights were especially chilly and Dinah said it would help hide her from anyone who would question why she was out so late.

She knocked lightly on the carriage door, it opened quickly.  
Tommy poked his head out, a smile spread across his face when he saw her.  
He opened the door wider, taking the bag from her hand and tossing it inside before  
helping her up and in the carriage.

He closed the door as she sat down across from him.  
"You decided to come after all?"

She nodded.  
"My sisters are covering for me."

"If we get caught, I'll take full responsibility."  
Tommy paused.  
"Your father loves my father and his money."

Felicity let out a breath of relief.  
As long as no one caught her and Oliver together nothing bad could happen.

  
Right?


	6. Chapter 6

"Wow."  
Felicity whispered to herself as she entered Tommy's mansion early Saturday morning.  
They'd been traveling all night at a steady pace and arrived with plenty of time to spare before the party tonight.

Tommy took her bag and handed them to a young man who had opened the door for them.  
"Take this to the Guest room."  
The man nodded, taking the bag and disappearing up the stairs.

Felicity crossed her arms, following Tommy around the bottom floor.  
"You have a lovely home."

He shook his head, leading her into the kitchen.  
"It's a little too big for my taste."

"I thought my home was too small?"

"All anyone cares about is how much money you have,"  
He poured a glass of juice for himself and Felicity.  
"How big your mansion is, how successful your family is. It's all a game.You have to one up your opponent."

Felicity took one of the glasses from Tommy.  
"But you're on the same side?"

"Men are confusing."

Felicity rolled her eyes.  
He wasn't wrong.  
She took a sip of the juice then sat it back down on the island.  
"Is Oliver meeting us at the party?"

"I...think so,"  
Tommy pulled a letter out of his pocket and went over it, after a moment he slid it back.  
"Yeah, he's meeting us there."

 

"You two sending love letters?"  
Felicity teased, sitting down at the island.

"He is not my type."

"Who is?"

Tommy thought about it for a minute then shrugged.  
"I don't really have a type."

"And you know Oliver isn't it?"

Tommy shrugged again.

"You are a strange person, Merlyn."

"You'll get used to me."  
He walked around the island.  
"The guest room is upstairs, first door to the left. I have a few things to do before this party."

Felicity nodded and he left.

She finished drinking the glass of juice before making her way to the guest room.  
She took her time finding it.  
She made sure to take all of it in, really appreciate every detail of her adventure.  
It might be the last time she ever has one.

 

When she finally walked into the guest room she found her bag and emptied out the things she would be needing.  
She only planned on staying a day.  
She'd be leaving in the morning.  
No need to unpack everything Dinah stuffed into the bag.

She pulled out a thin,V-neck red dress.  
She stared at it for a long minute before laying it on the bed.

"I don't even own this."  
She mumbled, stretching it out to decrease any possible wrinkle.

She shrugged and tossed the bag back onto the floor beside the bed.

She stepped back, actually looking at the bed.  
It was bigger than her entire bedroom back home.  
The blankets were softer, the pillows fluffier.  
She almost wanted to follow in her sister's footsteps just so she would never leave this bed.

She thought about the consequences for a minute then decided against it.  
She was almost sure Tommy would allow her to stay but her father would have his head.  
Besides, she already had a complicated situation to deal with, she didn't need another.

* * *

 

There was a quick knock at the door before it opened and Tommy poked his head inside.  
"5 minutes."

Felicity sat up from the bed.  
"This bed is better than any party."  
She whined.

Tommy laughed.  
"I mean, I can tell Oliver you found a new lover but...Doubt he'd send a wedding gift."

Felicity nodded, sliding off of the bed and into her wedges.  
She assumed they were Dinah's since she personally didn't own any sort of heeled shoe.

"You look amazing."  
Tommy said, opening the door wider.

Felicity gave him a smile.  
"You don't look half bad yourself, Merlyn."

"Ollie's a lucky man."

"Why's that?"  
Felicity asked, checking her hair one last time in the mirror beside the door.

"He has you."

"He doesn't have anyone yet."  
She glanced at Tommy.  
"We're just friendly."

"Not even friends?"

"We've only spoke twice in person."

"So? That's plenty of time to become friends."

"Why aren't you out in the war?"  
Felicity turned to him, she crossed her arms.

The conversation quickly became serious.

 

Tommy looked around the guest room then back at Felicity.  
"Money goes a long way."

"You paid to be off the battlefield?"

"My father did."

"Why?"

"Don't ask me, all I know is I'm here."

Felicity looked back at the mirror then at Tommy.  
"I'm ready."

He nodded, holding his arm out towards her.  
"Let's ride."

* * *

 

Felicity had never seen so many people in one room.  
People were dancing, talking, eating, getting along.  
So many different people from so many different financial states.

It was almost magical how beautiful the scenery was.  
Lights hanging from the walls, flowers, a designated dance floor.

She walked in arm and arm with Tommy.  
They gave each other a slight nod and proceeded into the building.  
She studied every face on every person they passed.  
None of them were Oliver.

She looked at Tommy as they stopped in one of the back corners.  
"Why is he not here yet?"

"He's probably running late with his sister."

"Do you two really share a sister?"

"It's complicated."

"Not an answer."

Tommy looked towards the door.  
"He's here."

 

Felicity continued to stare at Tommy for a minute eventually sighing and looking in Oliver's direction when she   
realized she probably wasn't getting any information out of him.  
Yet.

She smiled as Oliver approached them, trying to remain as calm as possible.  
She really needed to relax more around him.  
What she said to Tommy earlier was true, they weren't friends.  
They couldn't be.  
They hadn't talked enough, they've sent letters, they've met twice--Three times now.  
But never any personal information.

"Look what the cat dragged in."  
Tommy said, bringing Felicity out of her thoughts.

_Damn thoughts, always catching me in a bad moment._

"I like cats."  
Felicity looked at Tommy.

"I'm more of a dog person."

"Somehow I'm not surprised."  
Felicity looked at Oliver.  
"Hi."

"Hi."

"You two suck at this."  
Tommy handed Oliver his glass.  
"I see a few ladies that need my attention,"  
He looked between the both of them then walked away.

 

"How did you survive an afternoon with him?"  
Oliver stood beside Felicity, watching his friend across the room.

Felicity sighed.  
"Honestly, it was a blur. I think I tuned him out after a while."  
She and Oliver shared a look before watching Tommy.

"So, where's the armed guards?"

Felicity narrowed her eyes, looking up at Oliver.

"No way your family let you come alone."

"You're right. They didn't."

"So...The guards?"

"Not here."

"But they didn't let you come alone?"

"They don't know I left."  
Felicity took the glass out of Oliver's hand and took a sip.  
She quickly made a face and handed it back.  
"What is this?"

Oliver shrugged.  
"I'm not sure. It's Tommy's."

Felicity made another face.  
"Even worse."

Oliver shook his head, handing her another glass.  
"Water?"

She nodded, taking the water.  
"Please."

 

She took a sip of the water and handed the glass back to Oliver.  
"I probably have so many diseases now."

"Tommy talks a big game, he's only ever been with one girl."

"What happened?"

"Not my place."

She groaned, crossing her arms.  
"What is with you two not telling me things?"

"What have I not told you?"

"Your little sister?"

"Is exactly that. _My_ little sister."

"But Tommy said-"

"It's complicated."

Felicity raised an eyebrow.  
Oliver sat down Tommy's glass and took Felicity's hands into his.  
"I will tell you, but not here."

"Outside?"  
Felicity pulled one hand away to point behind her.

"Not now."

She frowned.

"Later. I promise."

She sighed then nodded.  
A party really isn't the best place to get into family drama.  
She looked around the room.

"Do you wanna dance?"  
Oliver asked.  
She turned back to him and smiled.

* * *

 

"I can't believe you made me do that!"  
Felicity said, hitting Tommy on the shoulder.

"I didn't make you do anything,"  
Tommy corrected her, leading her and Oliver into the mansion.  
"I simply suggested that since you're leaving in the morning, you should have fun."

Felicity groaned, holding her stomach as she slowly made her way to the stairs.  
Oliver helped her so she wouldn't fall.

"No way she's going home like this."

"We've got a 12 hour ride to get past the hangover."  
Tommy walked into the kitchen.  
"She'll be fine!"

Felicity started walking up the stairs, Oliver right beside her.  
"You really don't have to be here."

"I'm not leaving until you're safely up the stairs."

"I ruined tonight."

"Did you have fun?"

She nodded.  
"Not having fun now."

He laughed.  
"Now doesn't matter."

They reached the top of the stairs, stopping at the guest bedroom door.  
"Tomorrow is gonna be worse."

She hit him on the shoulder.  
"Everything might be slightly blurry and I might not be able to stand straight, but I will hurt you."

"I believe that."  
Oliver took a step back.

She reached her hand out, pulling him back.  
"Thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome."  
Tommy said as he passed by them.

They both glared at him as he walked into his bedroom across from the guest.  
"Not gonna say bye?"

"You aren't leaving."  
Tommy said as he shut the door behind him.

Oliver looked back down at Felicity.  
She opened the door behind her without looking away from him.

"Felicity-"

She put her hand over his mouth.  
"No talking."  
She took his hand and pulled him into the bedroom, the door closing forcefully behind them.


	7. Chapter 7

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and scrambled eggs woke her up.  
Not a bad way to wake up.  
She stirred slightly before opening her eyes.

The sun peered in through the giant bay window beside the bed, luckily for Felicity the sun wasn't directed at her but  
at the spot next to her.  
She turned to the side, a plate of breakfast and a cup of coffee sat on the nightstand  
but that was all that was there.

She frowned, sitting up and looking at the dented pillow beside hers.  
There was a note.

 

 _I didn't want to wake you,_  
_Tommy and I are going into town._  
_We'll be back before it's time to leave._  
Eat something.  
It'll help.

_Oliver_

 

"Help what?"  
As soon as the words left her mouth, her head started pounding  
and her stomach felt like it turned inside out.  
She slowly leaned against the headboard of the bed.

She sat the note back on the pillow, reaching for a piece of toast.  
It was the only thing she knew would help the sick feeling.  
After 5 pregnancies, she knew what helped her mother with morning sickness,  
this would probably help her too.

She bit into the toast and reached for the paper beside the breakfast tray.  
After a few minutes trying to get her eyes to adjust on one thing at a time she decided  
the paper was a bad idea and tossed it to her feet.

"I am never drinking again."  
She leaned her head against the headboard, closing her eyes.

 

"That would be my preference."

 

She opened her eyes and looked over to the door of the guest room,  
Oliver was walking in.

"You left me."

"You were asleep."

"You could have woke me."

Oliver sat down next to her on the bed.  
"Trust me, you would be a lot more upset if I had done that."

"Why'd you have to go to town?"  
Felicity took another bite of the toast.

"Tommy wanted to deliver some eggs to a girl he met last night."  
Oliver shook his head, leaning on the headboard.

"Why did you have to go?"

"Because he didn't want to come off as creepy."

 

Felicity laughed.  
"Oh sure, one guy delivering eggs is creepy, let's bring two."

"How are you feeling?"

"Physically or mentally?"

Oliver thought for a second, he shrugged.  
"Physically."

"I'm tired."

"Mentally?"

"I don't wanna go home."  
Felicity slid further down into the bed, taking another bite of the toast.

Oliver laughed, taking the toast from her.  
"You can't lay and eat."

She threw the covers over her head.  
"I'm not going home."

"No one is making you."

He could hear her sigh before she poked her head out from under the covers.  
"My family would disown me."

"That...is probably true."  
Oliver leaned over and kissed her forehead before reaching for the paper  
at the end of the bed.

"You read this?"

Felicity sat back up, shaking her head.

Oliver opened it up and skimmed through a few pages before stopping.

She watched him closely.  
It's like he froze completely.

"What is it?"  
She asked, wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

 

Oliver turned the paper over to her.  
She took it from him and read through it.

"Looks like this is the last time we'll see each other for a while."

Felicity leaned up, reading closely.  
"My father never mentioned any incoming dangers?"

"He probably didn't want to scare you."

Felicity continued to read.  
"So he's just gonna uproot everyone and place them in the middle of nowhere?"

"If that'll keep them safe."

"And you guys are left with nothing but dust?"  
Felicity put down the paper and looked at Oliver.

"It's a part of the job."

Felicity tossed the paper to the other side of the bed.  
She crossed her arms and leaned back on the headboard forcefully.  
"These guys are merciless! They're burning houses, tearing families apart-"

"That's probably why they're moving everyone out now."

"He doesn't have enough men for this."  
Felicity continued.

"It's not just us, there's more."  
Oliver tried to reassure her.

 

She didn't acknowledge his reassurance, she just sat there, looking at the paper  
at her feet.  
It was like this for a few minutes before she reached for it again.

"What?"

"When did it say they were moving families out?"  
She scanned the paper.

"Tomorrow."

She groaned, throwing the bed covers to the side along with the paper.  
She climbed over Oliver and slid off of the bed.  
She grabbed her bag off of the floor and put it on the bed, packing her dress from last night into it.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to be there."

"You have plenty of time."

"My father is going to want to inform the family, if I'm not there I'm dead."  
She reached for the dress she wore yesterday and slid it over her head.

"Well, it looks as if we all are anyway."

Felicity stopped in her tracks, looking back at Oliver.

"Humor."  
He threw his hands up.

She rolled her eyes, grabbing her flats and slipping her feet into them.  
She took her bag off of the bed and raced out of the guest bedroom.  
Oliver followed behind her.

"Even if you leave now, you won't be there until tonight."  
He followed her down the stairs.

She dropped her bag by the front door.  
"Where's Tommy?"  
She turned around to face Oliver.

 

"Still out."

Felicity groaned, pacing back and forth in front of the door.  
"How am I gonna get home?"

"Felicity, you have time."

"My father is gonna kill me."

"I thought he was gonna disown you?"

"You,"  
She stopped,  
"Not helping."  
She continued going back and forth until Oliver grabbed her shoulders.

"I will take you home."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"It's on my way."

"It's past your way."

"It's still South no matter how you look at it."

 

Felicity thought about it.  
She didn't really have any other options.

"My father will kill _you_."

"I can take it."

"But your limbs.."  
She frowned.

"I'm a fast runner."

Her frown faded into a smile.  
She let out a long breath.  
"I should leave Tommy a note."

"I'll get the horses ready."  
He kissed her check and walked out the door.

* * *

 

The sun had just set when Felicity approached the Smoak property line.  
She took one look at the mansion, across all of the grass on top of a slight hill, and sighed.  
She turned around, taking her bag from Oliver and tossing it into a bush.  
She'd be back for it in the morning when they left.

"You should go."  
She told him.  
"It'll be hard enough to explain why I'm out late."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, looking back at her house.  
The place she finally returned to and would be leaving again in the morning.  
She shook any negative thoughts from her mind and gave Oliver a smile.

"Good luck with the upcoming attack."

"Good luck with that."  
Oliver pointed to her house.

Felicity turned around to see a figure standing on the front porch.  
Her heart dropped, she'd know that tall, disapproving figure anywhere.  
"Dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I don't leave as many notes as I feel I should but I just wanted to randomly drop by and tell y'all that I appreciate all of the comments and kudos. You're all great.  
> I'm not really sure how long this story is gonna be, I know how I want it to end but even though I'm the author it's still up to the story how long it'll take to get there since I'm just winging most of it.
> 
> Speaking of, I only just added that last section last minute because I want it to lead into chapter 8 since chapter 9 will probably be slower or short all together I'm not sure yet.
> 
> Point is, Your support is amazing. I love you all.  
> This is probably one of the most serious stories I've ever wrote. Not because it's serious but because I'm taking it seriously and I really do appreciate y'all.  
> That's it. See you in chapter 8


	8. Chapter 8

Felicity slowly turned back around to face Oliver.  
"What are the chances he does not see us?"

Oliver glanced over at her father then back at her,  
he raised it hand and moved it slightly back and forth.  
Felicity whined.

"I knew I shouldn't have come home!"

"You had fun, don't regret going-..."  
He paused, leaning closer.  
"I'm sorry, you regret coming back?"

She nodded.  
"Wouldn't you?"  
She motioned to her father behind her.  
She crossed her arms, kicking the dirt between her and Oliver.  
"Just my luck, I get to have the time of my life just before it ends."

She looked back at her house sighed, looking at Oliver one last time before  
walking towards the house.  
Oliver quickly followed beside her causing her to stop in her tracks.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Oliver pointed to the house.  
"I'm walking you to your door, Ma'am."

"You'll die."

"I'll die anyway."

Felicity watched him.  
He was serious, no trace of humor anywhere on his face.  
She sighed as he gestured for her to keep moving.

 

They walked up to the house slowly, Felicity in front of Oliver.  
Both of them with their hands behind their backs.  
When they approached the house Oliver stopped a few steps behind Felicity,  
letting her take control of the situation.

"Daddy."  
Felicity curtsied slightly before walked up the steps.  
Her father looked at her with a smile then turned to Oliver,  
he quickly bowed, mostly because he didn't want to make eye contact.

"Sir.."

"Queen, what brings you here?"

Oliver glanced over at Felicity, who was giving him a slight head shake, then back at her father.  
"Your daughter, actually."

Felicity closed her eyes, trying to calm herself from any  
possible reaction she could have to that sentence.

Her father looked at her, she smiled.  
She didn't know what else to do, Oliver basically  
dug both of their graves the only thing she  
could do now was lie in it.

He looked back at Oliver, a surprised expression across his face.  
"Really?"

Oliver nodded.  
"I found her in town. It was getting dark, thought I'd bring her home."

Great, now he's lying.  
Does he have a death wish?

"What were you doing in town, Megan?"  
Her father turned back to her, probably expecting  
her to spread the lie.  
No way he didn't suspect anything.  
He only used her first name when she was in trouble.  
It was a strange first name when her middle name was much prettier  
and used far more often.

"I was..." Felicity looked at Oliver then at her father, "I just needed some air. I saw the paper this morning."  
That was pretty good.  
She usually couldn't lie straight to her father's face,  
but even if he did know the truth, it was still a damn good lie.

 

He nodded, looking back at Oliver.  
"Since you're in town, I need you to get the men together, we leave in the morning."

"Give them a warning and they'll all be at the bar in the morning."

"Drunk or sober, we leave before the sun is over the hills."

Felicity toned out the rest of the conversation.  
It was dragging on about plans and attack strategies.  
The good thing was it sounded like her father was taking a liking to Oliver,  
which means he's Right Hand Man material.

Still not a rich kid with money up to the roof but he was  
earning his place in their family.  
Hopefully that's how her father saw it too.

After a few more minutes of chatter Felicity's father finally decided to send Oliver on his way,  
thanking him for getting her home safely and telling him to prepare for a long few months.  
That wasn't exactly what either of them wanted to hear but they  
assumed that was how it was going to be.

Felicity and her father went inside and Oliver rode off into town   
to warn her father's men of the upcoming travels.

 

 Felicity climbed the stairs after her father entered his study.  
She walked to her room and collapsed on her bed.  
It was nowhere near as comfortable as Tommy's guest bed, this one was less extravagant  
and a lot colder, but of course it was.  
She wasn't sharing this bed with anyone.

She laid in silence for a few minutes before the door opened, causing her to bounce up to a  
sitting position.

It was Dinah and Alena.

Both of them with bright smiles on their faces ran in and hugged Felicity.  
"You're back!"  
Alena pulled away, looking at Felicity.

"Did you have a good night?"  
Dinah asked, sitting back on Alena's bed across from Felicity, pulling Alena down beside her.

Felicity shrugged.  
"It was nothing to write home about."

"Clearly, seeing as how we have no letters."  
Alena crossed her arms, Dinah glared at her.

"She was gone for a night, you dope."  
She shook her head, looking back at Felicity.  
"Merlyn didn't try anything, did he?"

Felicity shook her head.  
"Aside from encouraging things that he shouldn't have, and still that  
was my choice to listen to him, it was a nice night."

"What kind of things did he encourage?"  
Alena asked, leaning closer.  
Dinah looked at Alena then at Felicity,she placed her hand on her younger sister's shoulder.

"Honey, Felicity's been traveling all day, why don't you get her something to snack on."

"I'm full."

"I'm sure you are- Water then."  
She looked at Alena,  
Alena looked between the two of them then shrugged, leaving the room.

Dinah waited for the door to close again before crossing to Felicity's bed.  
She leaned in close.  
"What happened?"

"I'm not telling you anything."

"I covered your ass all night, you owe me."

"Oliver and I...we slept."

"Together...?"

"We slept."

"That's all I get?"

Felicity stood up,  
"I have a baby to check on."  
She said as she exited the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will probably be more of a fast paced chapter.  
> Letters being written back and forth and junk like that so not a time jump but a lot like one
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this very late chapter   
> (is it late? when did i last upload a chapter? I don't even know)  
> and I promise to be back soon with another!  
> Until next time!


	9. Chapter 9

"Dinner is ready."  
Dinah announced, knocking lightly on the bedroom door.

"I'm not hungry."  
Felicity replied, staring out the window in the Smoak's mansion upstate.  
She used to come here all the time when she and her siblings were little.  
Now it's just a place they retreat to when things get messy, or messier than they are now, and  
they have to leave.

Dinah sighed, walking over and sitting beside Felicity at the bay window.  
"You have to eat something, honey."

They've been here for over a month, after a week the letters stopped coming.  
The letters from their father, from Oliver, Justin, they all stopped.  
They haven't received any information about what was happening  
in their old town.

The entire family was thinking the same thing despite no  
one having the spine to say it.  
So they didn't.  
No one talked negatively, no one mentioned the war, they just sat in silence when the topic came up.

They had no way of knowing if their family was alright and no way of knowing  
if their home had been destroyed.  
They were left in the dark but they kept positive attitudes in front of each other.

Whenever any of them felt the slightest of worry, they would close themselves off until  
they could push it to the side and put up a brave front.

Felicity stayed in her room.

 

"You haven't eaten in days."

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat."

Felicity looked down at the small locket in her hand.  
Every sister had one and every brother had a pocket watch just the same.  
Each locket contained a small portrait of the family, they never wore them unless they were apart due  
to the war.

Dinah put her hand over Felicity's.  
"They're gonna be fine."

"We don't know that."

"We do. They're fine."

"They haven't wrote in weeks."  
Felicity looked up at her older sister, her eyes slightly misty.

"We have to believe they'll make it home."

She sighed, looking back out the window.  
Dinah frowned, standing up as she slowly pulled back from her sister.  
"I'll have Iris save your plate."

* * *

 

Two months into the dark.  
Still no news about anything but everyone still kept a positive attitude.  
Felicity, with help from Alena and Dinah, was joining the family in  
their new routine life.

Taking Mackenzie out so she can explore the grass and fields and  
meet the people of the town.  
Helping the workers in the garden.  
Normal things they'd do at home but in a different place with different rules.

 

"Mama wants you to take Mack on a walk. Says she needs fresh air."  
Henry poked his head into the bedroom.

Felicity looked away from her book to shoot her little brother a glare.  
"Why can't you?"

"Because she's disgusting."

Felicity let out a short laugh.  
"I'm putting that in your wedding speech."  
She closed her book, sliding off of the bed and walking over to the door.

"Even more disgusting, Fel."  
The little boy groaned before running off.

"You have to get married someday!"  
She called after him as she walked into her mother's room and taking the small toddler out of her crib.

"Hey, baby!"  
She smiled, sitting her on the ground.  
Dinah walked in and picked up the little girl.

"She can walk now."  
Felicity stated, grabbing a small coat for the tot.

"I know, but she's still a little baby!"  
Dinah ruffled Mackenzie's hair.  
It wasn't dramatically long yet but it was down to her shoulders.

"Rene wants to have tonight, you're welcome to join us."

Felicity scrunched her nose, grabbing the toddler from Dinah.  
"Is that the best idea?"

Dinah shrugged, helping Felicity get the coat on the baby.  
"Timing could be worse."

"Doesn't he live a while from here?"

"Just about over an hour."

"I think I'm gonna hang around here, but tell Rene and Zoe I said hi."  
Felicity gave her a sister a wave before walking out with Mack in her arms.

* * *

 

After 4 months of silence Felicity finally decided to do what the rest of her family was terrified to.  
She sat down and wrote a letter addressed to her father's campsite.

Sending Double-letters is usually considered desperate but at this point she was.  
Desperate to know if her home was okay, if her family was okay, if he was okay.  
And the only way aside from traveling to the campsite, which is a total suicide mission, is to write a letter.  
So that's what she did.

 

_To whom it may concern_

_It has been four months of silence._   
_F O U R  M O N T H S_

_And while usually I would let something like this slide,_   
_usual situations aren't nearly as dire as this one._

_My Father and my brother are camped in or around this area so why haven't_   
_we heard anything back from them?_

_If they've had the misfortune of death send a fruit basket and be on your way_   
_do not leave us waiting for this war to be over to know the truth._

_These men have families that are worried about them,_   
_if you are too busy or too afraid to inform them_   
_of their loses I will do it for you._

_Send me a list of names of those we lost,_   
_I will track down and contact their kin._

_Until then, fight & Survive._

_\- Felicity Smoak_

 

A week or two passed before she received anything back and when she did  
she hid the letter from her family until she read it so she could be prepared to  
tell her family.

She waited for everyone to settle into bed before she snuck downstairs by the fire and ripped open  
the white envelope.

So they weren't out of paper or ink like Alena had lead everyone to "believe" for the better.

 

_Miss Felicity Smoak_

_We've lost many men, women and children here._   
_Most of them the families of the soldiers._   
_You are safest away from this campsite and away from any form of contact_   
_anything that can link you to your current address is dangerous information to_   
_have around._

_You asked for a list, We're in the process of notifying every kin left alive_   
_so there's no need to drag yourself into that._

_I'm very sorry we don't have a fruit basket to offer but we're low on rations as it is._   
_I recommend, if truly as comforting as you make it seem, grab an apple from the kitchen and sit down._

_One of the names listed among the deceased is Justin Smoak._

 

The letter wasn't signed.  
The writing wasn't his.  
She wasn't apart of his family, she would have no way of knowing if he was okay.  
Her father was fine, she assumed.  
But poor Justin..

Dinah walked downstairs after hearing someone in the parlor.  
She slowly opened the door to find Felicity in the floor by the fire, going over the letter again.

"What's that?"

Felicity held up the letter, letting Dinah read it for herself before she  
turned to face her.

The room was silent except for the crackling fire in front of the two sisters.  
Though she never said anything, Felicity could hear her heart drop.  
Dinah tossed the letter into the fire a few minutes later, causing Felicity to jump.

"What the hell?"

"They don't need to know, not yet."  
Dinah never looked at her, but she could see the water forming in her eyes from the side.

"Dinah-"

"Daddy will be home soon, he'll tell us then."  
Dinah stood up and walked off, leaving Felicity to watch the rest of the letter burn.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes
> 
> I've had the next chapter planned since like the second chapter of this story and it's gonna be chapter 10 like I was hoping it would be, I had to drag out some things and speed up some things here and there to get that going but double digits are majorly important to me because I don't usually get this far in a story so I wanted chapter 10 to be super important and it will be now so yay
> 
> Sorry Justin had to die for that to happen but honestly the name came too easily to ever be a serious character that I can't kill because when I think of Felicity's older brother I think of Justin Hartley(Oliver Queen, Kevin Pearson), he looks like he could be a brother
> 
> And obviously Justin came from Justin Smoak because well I'm original and Kevin Smoak doesn't have the same ring to it
> 
> ANYWAY  
> see you next time i'm gonna get started on the bomb af chapter that is #10


	10. Chapter 10

The city held a service for every soldier lost in the most recent battle.  
Not every face had a name, and not every name had a face, but they were honored all the same.  
Weeks passed with still no word from Oliver, her father came home but stayed mostly in his study.  
When he did come out it was for dinner so she couldn't exactly ask about those who remained in his command.

She assumed Oliver was fine.  
His name never appeared in any papers, he wasn't of high importance but as he  
ranked up more people knew of him.  
Not seeing his name was a good thing.  
Right?

 

The Smoak family still stayed in their upstate home, everyone was going stir-crazy but tonight was  
going to change that.  
They were hosting an event.  
When were they not hosting an event?

  
Tommy had gotten an invitation from her father, proving once more that Felicity  
was practically betrothed to Merlyn and all of his glory.

  
She and Tommy had an understanding of each other, though.  
They cared for one another, they cared for Oliver the same.  
Neither of them wanted to pursue a relationship but to keep up appearances Tommy had accompanied  
her to the service held for her brother.

It was a simple gesture but it was enough to get the town talking, Felicity found it strange that  
everyone was more interested in her love life over her Older sister's - She and Rene never made anything official, they both argue they're strictly friends -  
but no one talked about it.  
It was only Felicity.

She wishes it were more on Dinah or even Alena, anyone to keep the attention off of herself.  
She could never be with Oliver if everyone was expecting her to merge the Smoak and Merlyn families together.

 

Felicity had snuck out an invitation and sent it to the address Tommy had given her, hoping it would  
find it's way to Oliver.  
But if not, she and Tommy would once again please the audience with their completely faked romance.

 

With an hour before guests start to arrive, the residence was filled with stress.  
Felicity's parents had this idea in their heads that they have to be delightful hosts  
despite having lost a son a little over a month ago.

The boys had to be dressed in the finest of suits they had ever worn and promise  
to not mess them up in front of company.

The girls had to wear the largest of skirts and the tightest of corsets, not a single hair out of place.

They had to look put together, now more than ever with the assumption that  
General George was making an appearance with his wife.  
Though the only reason Felicity is even attempting to play along is the slightest hope  
she has that Oliver will show up somehow, take her away, never looking back.

 

"Have you spoken to John?"  
Iris asked, brushing through Felicity's hair.

Felicity shook her head, looking at Iris through the mirror in front of her.  
Iris sighed, setting the brush down in front of Felicity.  
"He's worried about you."

"Why's he worried?"  
Felicity asked, turning in her chair.  
Iris shrugged, leaning on the dresser.

"He knows you've been going through something."

"He needs to mind his business."

"What fun is that?"  
A voice came from the doorway, both the girls turned.  
John Diggle.  
The girls' personal bodyguard.

He was built for the war but Felicity's father found it more appropriate that he protect his daughters  
than the country.  
Felicity didn't mind, he was like another older brother.

Iris ran her fingers through Felicity's hair once more before patting her on the shoulders and leaving.  
Felicity stood from her seat and moved to her bed, gesturing for him to walk in.

"What's going on inside that head of yours?"

"Soooo much."  
Felicity rolled her eyes.

"You think your friend is gonna show up tonight?"

"What friend?"

"Uh...Oliver?"

Felicity sighed, shaking her head.  
"Dinah?"

"Iris."

"Ah,"  
Felicity stood up and walked past John and over to her dresser.  
"Can't trust anyone with a simple secret."

"Why's it a secret?"  
John turned, crossing his arms.

Felicity looked at him through the mirror.  
"My father would never approve."

"He doesn't approve of anything."

"He approves of Merlyn."  
She looked down, a small frown forming on her face.

"If this guy is worse than Merlyn, I might not approve of him."

Felicity lifted her head up,  
"Actually, I think you two would make great friends."  
She turned around, leaning on the dresser.

"We'll find out tonight."

"If he shows up."

John walked over to Felicity and kissed the top of her head.  
"He'll show up...Or we won't make as great friends as you think."

She smiled slightly as he left the room.  
She turned back to the mirror to finish getting ready.  
"Here we go..."

 

* * *

 

 "Right, Felicity?.....Felicity?"  
Tommy nudged Felicity, bringing her back to the conversation.

"Hm?"  
She looked at the couple standing in front of them then at Tommy  
who was by her side.

"Your sister's performance-"

"Yes!"  
Felicity stopped him from explaining further.  
"My sister is extremely talented, she puts us all to shame."  
She continued, looking over at Dinah by the piano.

She was talking to a few guys who had walked over to her, all of them  
head over heels for her.  
Little did any of them know that Rene was also there, standing by her side like he usually was, his daughter  
talking up a storm with the other children in the other room.

Everyone had heard rumors Dinah and Rene were together but no one outside of the family had actually seen Rene.  
He's not what you'd expect, sure he had a scar over his eye but that didn't stop him from cleaning up nice.

Despite how their relationship began and his personal lifestyle, the family liked him.  
Everyone had the lowest of expectations when they had first heard of Rene and his daughter so they were  
pleasantly surprised to see he wasn't the total monster they'd all assumed he'd be.

Felicity was happy for her sister, but a part of her envied her as well.  
After Dinah left, Felicity became the daughter to sell off to the highest bidder.

And while she could have ended up with far much worse, she didn't love Tommy.  
She loved Oliver.

And she didn't see that changing anytime soon.

 

"If you'll excuse us, I think Felicity might need some air."  
Tommy waved off the couple and lead Felicity out to the backyard before  
she even knew what was happening.

They both leaned on the balcony, looking over at the grassy fields.  
"What's with you today? You're somewhere else."  
Tommy glanced over at her.

"Have you heard from him?"  
She didn't turn her head, she kept focused on the fields.

"Oh,"  
Tommy looked down below them.  
It was about a 7 foot drop.  
His was about 10 but now wasn't the time for that.  
"He's probably just spending time with his sister."

"The sister you two share?"  
She glanced over at him.

 

"It's complicated."

"We've got time."

"Thea and I share a dad, Thea and Oliver share a mom. Thea doesn't know that."

"And you two do?"

"We were very noisy kids."

Felicity scoffed, shaking her head.  
"Doesn't sound too complicated to me."

"The situation was."  
Tommy looked over at her.  
She turned her gaze back to the grassy fields.

"I'm surprised a girl like you would even be interested in him."

She quickly shot her focus onto him,  
standing up straighter and crossing her arms.  
"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look at you, your family, hell, your land here is bigger than the entire town he's from."

"So, because he isn't rich I can't like him?"

"You saw how quickly everyone judged Dinah."

"Well, there's actually been a lot more women downgrading to the lower class because of the war so it's  
actually more common for me to like Oliver than it would be for me to like you."  
She stated, her voice firm and an eyebrow raised.  
She wasn't looking for a challenge, she didn't understand why she was suddenly so protective over  
a man she's only met a few times.

Yet, here she stood, defending him.

Tommy threw his hands in the air, taking a step back.  
"I didn't mean to offend you."

"You're not offending me, you're pissing me off."

"I have that effect on people."  
She shrugged, a smile creeping in the corners of his mouth.

She shook her head, looking at the fields once more before turning to the door.  
"We should get back before rumors start flying."

Tommy put his hands down and gestured for her to go ahead of him.

 

They walked inside and stood by the main entrance before walking into the parlor, both of them stopping to  
check on the kids.

"Life was simple then."  
Felicity whispered to herself, Tommy stood beside her.  
"No worries, no drama, just your friends and you."  
He continued for her.

They both gave each other a sad look then headed for the parlor, the door  
stopping Felicity in her tracks.

She turned back around and opened it up.  
"Just in time, the party is just beginning!"  
She smiled, looking up at the man in front of her.  
Her smile grew wider when she realized Oliver was standing in front of her.

"We've got to get a better schedule worked out."  
He said, walking inside as Felicity shut the door.  
"I can't keep showing up on your door halfway through things."

"Then come on time."  
She teased, leading him to the stairs where they sat down.

"What fun is that?"  
He laughed, Felicity hit his shoulder lightly.  
They got quiet for a minute, looking around the room.  
The kids had run into the dining room to attack the food, they were alone.

"I..I'm sorry about your brother."

Felicity's heart felt like a rock sinking to the bottom of her stomach.  
She closed her eyes, trying to contain herself.  
They were at a party, now wasn't the time for mourning.

She shook off the emotions and waved away his comment.  
"Um...How was the ride?"

"Extremely long..."  
He paused, looking over his shoulder at her.  
"But worth it."

She smiled, sliding down one step to lean on him.  
"Tommy's in the other room, talking to everyone he possibly can."

"You two are making headlines a lot lately."

She groaned, sitting up.

"When's the wedding?"

"October 7th, can you make it?"  
Felicity played along, her voice full of sarcastic excitement.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."  
Oliver copied her sarcasm, both of them laughing it off.

They sat there for a few moments before she kissed him.  
The world faded around them, like they were the only two people there.  
Nothing could possibly ruin this moment, unless of course her dad were to just walk in  
and see them together.

But the odds of him walking out of a room full of people to get some air aren't super high, right?  
Wrong. Completely wrong. Wrong One Thousand.

"Megan..."

The name that came with a disappointed tone, something Felicity tried harder than anything to avoid hearing.

 

Felicity jumped away from Oliver, both of them looking down at their feet.  
Both of them terrified to look up at her father.

Finally after a moment of deep breathing, Felicity looked up.

"Get in the parlor, Merlyn is asking for you."

"But-"

"Megan. Now."

Felicity looked at Oliver one more time before hurrying past her father to  
enter the parlor.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is supposed to be longer but I'm already soooo behind on updating I didn't want yall to have to wait longer so here ya go


	11. Chapter 11

Hours passed slowly, talking and entertaining every guest with a smile, Tommy by her side the entire time.  
There were moments she could find Oliver in the crowd but as soon as he caught her glance one of them were tugged in another direction.  
It was torture, she didn't know what to expect, what her father was planning to do with Oliver once the festivities were over but she would  
find out soon.

The guests started leaving, eventually the only ones remaining were Rene, Tommy, and Oliver.  
Her father asked Dinah and Felicity to walk Rene and Tommy out, Felicity felt like protesting but Dinah quickly grabbed her arm and nodded politely,  
leading the boys out of the parlor. On her way out, Felicity turned to look at Oliver one last time, he kept his head down as they left. She couldn't  
help but feel guilty, it was her fault they were in this mess. She had one rule set aside for herself to follow and she broke it. Now he was  
paying the price.

The door to the parlor closed and Felicity turned back to listen but Dinah didn't let go of her arm, Tommy stepped up to grab her other arm, both of them  
gently pulling her to the front door.  
"I can't let this happen!" She tried to pull away but Dinah and Tommy kept her grounded.

"He'll be fine, don't escalate this." Dinah let go of her younger sister, crossing her arms. Tommy took the opportunity to try to calm her down, he put his  
hands on her shoulders, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "Oliver has been in a lot of bad situations, near death plenty of times."

"Is that supposed to help her?" Rene jumped into the conversation as he walked up beside Dinah. "Telling her the guy she likes has almost died before?"

Tommy glared back at Rene then looked back at Felicity with the most sincere look she's ever seen and, from him, that was a lot.  
"He's talked himself out every time, he is going to be okay." He said the last part in a whisper, trying to get her to relax.  
While Tommy wasn't exactly the most emotionally attached person, he did know Oliver a lot longer than she and he did manage to help her steady  
her breathing enough to convince everyone that she'd calmed down, even if just a tiny bit.

Dinah looked between Rene and Tommy, letting out a sigh. "You should probably go..." She glanced at Rene,giving him a slight smile as he took the lead to the door.  
Tommy looked at the door then at Felicity, "You gonna be okay?" She nodded, letting out a long sigh herself as she walked over to the staircase as they left.

She sat down on the same step she was when her father and caught her and Oliver together, Dinah sat beside her, pulling her into her arms.  
"Elizabeth is getting married soon." She said, trying to change the subject for a brief moment. "Rumor has it, her older sister won't be attending the ceremony."

"Angelica is a modern day Dinah, isn't she?" Felicity teased, sitting up. Her older sister gasped, lightly hitting her on the arm. "Neither of us are married or getting married anytime soon."

That statement hit Felicity harder than it should have. She glanced over to the parlor door and frowned, she quickly shook off the curiosity and worry and looked at Dinah,  
She put her hand on her shoulder, an excited expression across her face. "You clearly can't see how Rene looks at you! I hear church bells ringing!" She said enthusiastically,  
looking around the room like it was already decorated for a wedding.

Dinah hit her again, "Rene is just a friend, I am allowed to have one of those, right?" She looked over at Felicity, curious. Felicity stuck her bottom lip out and narrowed her eyes, returning the look to her sister. "I assume."

 She shrugged, leaning back on Dinah's shoulder. "So no cake?"

"Unfortunately."

"Damn," She was going to follow up with more but before she could the door to the parlor had opened, she and Dinah both jumped up, Felicity leaning on the railing of the staircase. "Oliver?"

Their father came out first, Oliver followed behind, his gaze not drifting away from her father, they walked through the room and out the front door before  
the girls had a chance to say anything. Felicity skipped down the stairs and peaked out of the window beside the front door, trying to see what was happening.  
She couldn't hear anything and with the darkness she could hardly see, Her father was saying something, Oliver nodded in response and went on his way, she  
could only imagine what they were talking about.

Was that the last time she would see him? Did her father chase him away forever? He let him go and their conversation was professional so he wasn't  
too upset with what happened. Still, if he wasn't mad, why couldn't she at least say goodbye?  
Before she could question it anymore, her father came back inside. She jumped away from the window, her hands folded nicely in front of her, Dinah watched from the staircase.

"Papa..." She trailed off, not knowing what she could say. If she didn't know what mood he was in she couldn't get him out of it. He looked at Dinah, "Ramirez is just a friend?"

Dinah nodded slowly, unsure of where he was going with this, she decided it best to keep quiet.

"Good." He said, walking towards his office. "Colonial Queen would make a nice suitor for you." He said as he turned the corner,  
Felicity and Dinah both quickly followed him. "Papa, you can't mean that!" Dinah protested, crossing her arms as she entered his office at his heel.

"You've taken the path before, you can do it again. At least this one doesn't have a child." He went straight to his desk and brought out his quill. Felicity pushed past Dinah  
to stand in front of their father. "Papa, Dinah doesn't need a suitor and, if she did, why Oliver? Why not Rene?"

"Because Rene has nothing to offer your sister."

"You mean he has nothing to offer you." Dinah said, her tone starting to take a turn from confusion to anger. "What does Queen have?"

Aside from my heart? Not much, Felicity thought.

"He has a command, respect from his men, a talent for writing despite his not wanting to indulge in it." He listed off, not looking up at either of his daughters. "He's fluent in French which comes in handy for business deals and meetings with other troops."

"There are thousands of men who can write and speak French, Papa, Why him?" Felicity tried to keep her tone steady, Dinah was already getting angry, she didn't need to encourage her rage by getting upset.

Dinah was always protective over her sisters, anytime anyone would be the slightest bit rude she would shoot back at them with more power, turn them inside out with  
her words. She wasn't always the most traditional woman, but she took care of her family.

"Because you, my dear, have Mr Merlyn to worry about." He replied, finally meeting her gaze. Felicity felt her eyes starting to burn, she shook her head and walked out of the office. Was he honestly going to use Tommy as an excuse to not let her and Oliver be together? Was he putting Dinah with Oliver so she couldn't be with him? So they couldn't run off? So he could keep an eye on them?

She didn't know what or how to feel, she just ran up the stairs and to her bedroom. Pacing back and forth, back and forth, until she could calm herself down. Dinah  
came upstairs a few minutes later, stopping her from pacing. "I never should have come back." She grumbled, falling back onto the bed.

Felicity sat down beside her, still shaking. "He's abusing his power!" Dinah protested, jumping back up off of the bed and taking Felicity's place in pacing.  
"He's rude, self-centered, he thinks he can do whatever he wants-marry us to whoever he wants."

"Well, as our father, that's kind of his job."

Dinah shook her head, "I'm sick of it." She stopped pacing and looked at Felicity. "We're not gonna let this happen."

"Is this because you don't want to marry Oliver?"

"This is because _you_ don't want me to marry Oliver."

Felicity looked curiously at her sister as she continued to pace. She said his name so easily but they've never actually talked about him, maybe she knew of him before Felicity?  
He and Rene live close by, maybe they've ran into each other? Either way, Dinah seemed more upset for her sister than for herself. They were both being  
courted, they were both about to have their entire lives turned upside down. Guess it's just the protective sister side, She thought.

In the middle of all of her thoughts, tears started streaming down her face. She hadn't realized it until Dinah dropped down in front of her and brushed them away. "Sweetie, I promise, we're going to find a way to handle this." She said sincerely, "Papa will come to his senses."

"What if he doesn't?" She said, her voice barely a whisper. Dinah gave her a smile, "Then we'll make him." She pulled Felicity into her arms and for a minute, she believed it.  
Realistically, if their father was stuck on an idea then it was going to happen no matter who disagreed, but Dinah always made her believe they could do anything.  
Who knows, maybe this time they could.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my loves! I am very sorry these updates are less frequent  
> I have a lot of stories and I try to keep it even in updating but it's hard. Writing is hard.  
> You have to be in a certain mood to write a certain thing and it's a big mess if you're not so I try to take my time and  
> make sure I'm happy with a chapter before posting it and I'm pretty happy with this one because I don't want to give you too much at once   
> also I'm still deciding the ending, we are far(?) from the end but I need to get it figured out so I know where to go from here
> 
> ANYWAY I hope you liked this chapter, I will be back with more very soon!  
> Until then, my tumblr is Arrow-crack if you wanna chat  
> Bye!


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